Moving to a new Xiaomi smartphone is always exciting, but data porting often becomes a headache. Contacts, photos, messages, apps, and even screen settings all need to be saved to keep from starting from scratch. Fortunately, Xiaomi has several built-in migration tools, as well as universal solutions that work on any Android device.
In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer data between Xiaomi phones, from the official Mi Mover to cloud services and manual copying. We will focus on the hidden nuances of MIUI 14/15, which can block the transfer of certain types of files (for example, notes or data from Xiaomi Cloud), you will learn how to avoid data loss when changing your Mi Account and what to do if the new phone does not see the old one through Wi-DirectFi.
1.The official method: Mi Mover - quick migration without a computer
Mi Mover is Xiaomi’s proprietary solution for transferring data between devices to MIUI. The application is preinstalled on all modern smartphones of the brand (starting with the Redmi Note 5 and Mi 8) and supports transmission over Wi-Fi Direct without an Internet connection. The main advantage is the preservation of the structure of folders and metadata photos (filming dates, geotags).
To use Mi Mover, follow the following steps:
- 📱 Open the Settings. → The phone. → Data transfer (Mi Mover) on both devices.
- 🔄 On the old phone, select “I am the sender” and on the new one, “I am the receiver".
- 📶 Connect to one Wi-Fi Direct network (password will appear on the screen of the new phone).
- 📁 Select data types for transfer: contacts, messages, photos, video, audio, applications (APK) system settings.
- ⏳ Wait for the process to be completed (time depends on the amount of data – from 5 minutes to an hour).
Importantly, Mi Mover does not port data from some Xiaomi system applications, such as Notes, Calendar or Health, which require separate synchronization via Mi Account (more on this below), and the application may refuse to copy files larger than 4 GB – they will have to be transferred manually.
Charging both phones > 50%|Shut down. VPN and energy-saving regime|Make sure there is enough memory on your new phone|Sync your contacts with your Google account (in case of a crash)|Close all background applications-->
2.Move over Xiaomi Cloud: Cloud Backup
If you have a Mi Account, the most reliable way to transfer is to use Xiaomi Cloud cloud storage, which is suitable for data transfer over a distance (for example, if the phones are in different cities) or if Wi-Fi Direct does not work.
- 📇 Contacts, messages (SMS/MMS) call-book
- 📷 Photos and videos (in original quality when connecting Mi Cloud)+)
- 📝 Notes, calendar and tasks
- 🎵 Music and recordings from the recorder
- ⚙️ System settings (wallpaper, sound schemes, network parameters)
Instructions for transfer:
- On your old phone, go to Settings → Xiaomi Account → Mi Cloud.
- Enable synchronization for all the categories you need (e.g. Contacts, Gallery, Notes).
- Wait until the data is uploaded to the cloud (progress is displayed as a percentage).
- On the new phone, log in to the same Mi Account and enable sync in the Mi Cloud.
- Select "Recover Data" and confirm the download.
What if the cloud doesn’t sync photos?
⚠️ Warning: The free Mi Cloud tariff only provides 5GB of storage, and if you have more data, you either have to buy additional space (50GB costs). ~100 rubles/month), or use alternative methods (e.g. Google Photos). Also note that if you change your account region (e.g. China to Global), all data from the cloud will be deleted! 3. If you prefer not to depend on the Xiaomi ecosystem, you can transfer data through Google services. This method works on any Android-devices and saves: 📇 Contacts, calendar and email (via Google Contacts and Gmail) 📷 Photos and videos (via Google Photos with unlimited storage for compressed files) 🎵 Music and books (via Google Play Music and Play Books) 📱 Device settings (language, date/time, network settings) 🎮 Data of some games (if they support Google Play Games) Step-by-step instructions: On your old phone, open Settings → Google → Backup. Enable "Google Drive Backup" and select your account. Click "Create Backup Now" and wait until it's done. On the new phone, when you first turn on, select "Copy Data from Another Device" → "From cloud storage" → Google. Log in to the same account and select the latest backup. Limitations of method: 🚫 Not tolerated. SMS/MMS (They need a separate application, for example. SMS Backup & Restore). 🚫 Applications are not copied - only their settings (themselves) APK-Files will have to be re-installed). 🚫 Photos in original quality take up space in Google Drive (free only) 15 GB). 📊 What is the most important way to transfer data?Mi MoverXiaomi CloudGoogle Services (USB)Other 4. Manual transfer via computer: for complete control If you need to transfer all data without exception (including system application files, game cache or non-standard formats), the most reliable way is to use a computer. 100% process-control. You'll need it: 💻 Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux 🔌 USB Type C cables (or adapters for older models) 📂 Free space on the hard disk (at least recommended) 50 GB) Instructions for Windows: Connect your old phone to your computer via USB and select the "File Transfer" mode" (MTP). Copy all the folders you need from internal memory (DCIM For photos, Download for downloads, WhatsApp for chats, etc., on your computer. Turn off your old phone and connect a new one. Move the copied data back to your new smartphone. Use applications like software to port. APK Extractor (for extraction) APK) and ADB (fitting). 1. Install official Mi drivers PC Suite ([link](https://pcsuite.mi.com/)). 2. Turn on Debugging. USB In Settings → The phone. → Version. MIUI (press 7 once) → Additionally. → For developers. 3. Use the other USB-port (preferably) USB 3.0).--> ⚠️ Note: When manually transferring, do not copy the entire Android folder, this can lead to conflicts in these applications, Android/obb play-off Android/data/com.whatsapp Also remember that some apps (such as banking) may block work on a new device due to a change in the device. IMEI. 5. Transfer through OTG-cable or memory card if there is no computer at hand, but OTG-You can transfer data directly between phones, and this is a method that works for photos, videos, music and documents, but not for applications or system settings. 1: Through OTG-Connect your old phone to your new phone OTG-adapter (need cable) USB-C → USB-C or micro-USB → USB-C model-wise). On a new phone, open Explorer (Files) and select the old smartphone connected. Copy the files you want into the internal memory of the new device. Method 2: Use the memory card to insert the microSD into the old phone and copy the data to it. Move the card to the new phone and move the files to internal memory. Use batch-enabled Explorer (e.g. Solid Explorer) to speed up the process. Transfer method Speed Data volume Complexity Suitable for Mi Mover ⚡ Quickly (10-60 min 100 GB ⭐⭐ (Just) Contacts, photos, apps, settings Xiaomi Cloud 🐢 Slowly (depending on the internet) 5 GB (free of charge) ⭐ (Very simple) Photos, notes, contacts Google services 🐢 Slowly. 15 GB (free of charge) ⭐ (Just) Contacts, photos, settings Android Computer (USB) ⚡ Quickly Unlimited. ⭐⭐⭐ (Medium) Any files, including system files OTG/microSD ⚡ Come on. 1 TB (depends on the card) ⭐⭐ (simple: Photos, videos, documents 6. Transfer of specific data: WhatsApp, games, passwords Some types of data require a special approach: 📱 WhatsApp and other messengers To transfer WhatsApp chats, use the built-in backup feature in Google Drive: Open WhatsApp → ⋮ → Settings → chat → Backup. Click "Create a copy" and wait until it's done. On the new phone, install WhatsApp, log in to the same account and restore chats. Telegram just log in to the account on the new phone - all chats and media files are synced automatically. 🎮 If the game supports Google Play Games, saves are synced automatically. For games without cloud sync (such as Genshin Impact), copy the folder Android/obb/[game name for a new phone, for emulators, for example, PPSSPP or Dolphin) transfer the folder with states (PSP/SAVESTATES). 🔐 Passwords and browser data If you use Google Chrome, passwords and bookmarks are synced through your Google account. For Xiaomi Browser, enable sync in Settings → Synchronization. 1Password, LastPass or Bitwarden just install the app on a new phone and log in to your account. 💡To transfer data from Mi Fit (stepmeter, pulse), be sure to sync the application with Mi Account before changing the phone. Otherwise, the activity history will be lost! 7. Frequent problems and their solutions Even if you follow the instructions, errors may occur: 🔌 Mi Mover can't see the second phone Make sure both phones have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Reboot both devices. Try connecting to another Wi-Fi Direct network (sometimes changing the roles of sender/receiver helps). If you are using Redmi Note 12 or later, upgrade to the latest version of the Mi Mover in the Play Market. ⚠️ Check that the new phone has enough memory. Make sure the Mi Account region matches (for example, do not try to recover data from the Chinese cloud on global firmware). Turn it off. VPN — It can block access to Xiaomi servers. 📱 Applications are not installed after transfer If transferred APK via Mi Mover, enable installation from unknown sources in Settings → Annexes → Special access → Installation of unknown applications. OBB-Install the files first APK, Then copy the folder. Android/obb. 🔋 It's normal, after the migration, the system indexes the files. Let the phone lie on charge. 1-2 Check if background transfer processes are running (e.g. Google Photos can sync media files). 1. Open the Settings. → Wallpaper and reapply wallpaper. 2. B Settings → Sounds and vibrations select the notification melody manually. It's related to the fact that MIUI Sometimes resets personal settings after recovery.--> FAQ: Answers to frequent questions Can I migrate data from iPhone to Xiaomi? Yes, but not through Mi Mover. Use: Move to iOS (from Apple) - transfers contacts, photos and mail, but only works when you first set up Xiaomi. Google Drive - upload data from the iPhone to the cloud, then restore to Xiaomi. AnyTrans is a paid full port app (including WhatsApp).Please note: iMessage and call history are not portable due to Apple restrictions.How to transfer data if your old phone is broken (it doesn't turn on)?If the screen doesn't work but the phone turns on: Connect it to the computer through USB Copy the data manually (if the mode is enabled) MTP). Use it. ADB Retrieving files (command line skills required). If the phone is not turning on: Remove the microSD card (if any) and connect it to the new phone via an adapter. Contact the service center to retrieve data from internal memory (cost) ~1500-3000 Will the data from Xiaomi Wallet (bank cards, pass cards) be transferred? No, the Xiaomi Wallet data (including bank cards, transport cards and electronic keys) is not transferred by any method. They will have to be added again: Open Xiaomi Wallet on a new phone. Click Add Card and follow the bank's instructions. Transport cards (e.g. Troika) may require a subway visit to activate. ⚠️ Warning: Do not remove your old phone from Xiaomi Wallet until you have transferred all the cards to the new device.Some banks allow you to link the card to only one device? Settings AOD (including personal signatures) and gestures (Double tap to wake up, Swipe down for notification panel) are only transferred via Mi Cloud or Mi Mover. If they are not restored: Check if the synchronization of System Settings is enabled in Mi Cloud. MIUI And before the latest version, there were some gesture recovery bugs in the old builds. AOD manually: Settings → Always on Display and Lockdown → Setting up AOD. Can you move data from Xiaomi to Samsung or another brand? Yes, but not through Mi Mover. Use: Smart Switch (from Samsung) - supports porting with Xiaomi, but may not copy some system data. Google services is a universal method for any Android. Computer – Manual copying of files through USB. To transfer WhatsApp, use WhatsApp Business as an intermediary storage or specialized programs like Backuptrans.